The Language Landscape Tone Diction Syntax Imagery Figurative Language
Annotating a Text: Read Actively Reading actively helps you get to know the text better, how it makes its meaning and affects, understand its inner workings, and builds a relationship with that text. 1. Emotional sparks (immediate responses) 2. Figurative Language, Tone, Diction, Syntax, Imagery 3. Patterns and Repetitions (motifs) 4. Turns and Shifts (narration, dialogue) 5. Genre (textual features) 6. Allusions and Connections 7. Questions and Difficulties
The Art of Imitation Hey, the Romantics had it all wrong: It’s imitation, not originality, that gives a writer strength. Classical students of rhetoric learned how to imitate—at first exactly, and then with creative deviations—the speeches and writings of the masters. In the exercises in the document below, you will practice imitating sentences by first copying a master model sentence from a published writer and then imitating the sentence style of that writer with your own sentence. It may seem weird simply copying someone else’s work: Isn’t that plagiarism?? But you’ll have a much better sense of the rhetorical decisions a writer makes after forcing yourself to write down their sentences: paying careful attention to get the words, phrases, clauses, and punctuation exactly right. And then by making up your own sentences in imitation, you’ll begin to hear and sense the way master sentences trip and dance across the screen/page.
Authors CREATE Tone, Not Use Tone Style reveals tone, the implicit attitude toward the people, places, and events in the story. When we speak, tone is conveyed by our voice inflections, our wink of an eye, or some other gesture. A teacher who says, "You're going to fail the next test" may be indicating concern, frustration, sympathy, alarm, humour, or indifference depending on the tone of voice. STYLE: the distinctive manner in which a writer arranges words to achieve particular effects.
In a literary work that spoken word is unavailable; instead we must rely on the context in which a statement appears to interpret it correctly. To infer the tone of a piece of literature, we will need to recognize and explain how the author uses each of the following elements: diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax. These elements are known, for short, as DIDLS.
Diction refers to the author’s choice of words and phrases. Imagery is a sensory perception created by the author’s words. Details are small, specific facts that the author chooses to include or omit. Language refers to the register and the style of the author’s writing. It also refers to the emotional distance between the author and the subject or the author and the audience. Syntax is the structure and organization of individual sentences and the piece as a whole.
An author's point of view plays an important role in both fiction and nonfiction writing. Fictional pieces could be written in first, second, or third person. The point of view of the piece sets the tone for the piece of writing, giving readers a unique perspective of the novel's characters, setting, and events. In nonfiction, the author's point of view lets readers know how he feels about a particular subject, based on the details included, or not included, in the piece.
Tone and Point of View Why did the chicken cross the road? One layman's answer ... "because it was too far to go around" Dr. Seuss: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross with a toad? Yes! The chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed, I've not been told. Ernest Hemingway: To die. In the rain. Aristotle: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road. Karl Marx: It was a historical inevitability. Captain James Kirk: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before. Einstein: Did the chicken cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken? Colonel Sanders: I missed one?
Ask yourself 1. How does the author's use of words, imagery, or details such as gesture or allusions reveal the author's attitude toward a character or event in the story? 2. What words best describe the author's attitude toward this subject, character, or event?
DICTION In all forms of literature--nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and drama—authors choose particular words to convey effect and meaning to the reader. Writers employ diction, or word choice, to communicate ideas and impressions, to evoke emotions, and to convey their views of truth to the reader. Analysis of Diction: Use LEAD to analyze how an author’s word choices convey effect and meaning in a literary work. Low or informal diction (dialect, slang, jargon) Elevated language or formal diction Abstract (language that denotes ideas, emotions, conditions, or concepts that are intangible) and concrete diction (specific words that describe physical qualities or conditions) Denotation (the exact, literal definition of a word) and connotation (implicit meaning of a word)
The Diction Ladder Ceremonial (frozen) i.e. The Lord's Prayer Formal or Elevated Consultative Casual, Neutral, or Conversational Colloquial Intimate Jargon Slang
Informal Diction (personal writing) e.g. bug, folks, kid, boss, get across Formal Diction (academic or literary writing) e.g. germ, relatives, position, child, superior Common Types of Diction Colloquial words – conversational language – Is there a dialect? Slang – highly informal Jargon – the special language of a professional or group (lawyer talk, technical talk)
Ways to Characterize Diction General – look, walk, sit, cry, throw, dog, boy Specific – gaze, stride, slump, weep, hurl, black Labrador retriever, tall boy Monosyllabic words – single syllable words Polysyllabic words – more than one syllable in the words Denotative words – dictionary meaning (wedding dress, law officer, public servant) Connotative words – emotional meaning (wedding gown, cop, bureaucrat) Cacophonous words – harsh sounding words (maggot) Euphonious words – pleasant sounding words (butterfly) Abstract words – not material; representing a thought (pleasant tasting) Concrete words – real or actual; specific, not general (sour tasting)
When analyzing diction, look for specific words or short phrases that seem stronger than the others (ex.Bragg’s use of slingshot instead of travel ). Diction is NEVER the entire sentence! Also, look for a pattern (or similarity) in the words the writer chooses (ex. Do the words imply sadness,happiness, etc?). This pattern helps to create a particular kind of diction. This pattern can also include repetition of the same words or phrases. Repeating the same word or phrase helps the reader emphasize a point, feeling, etc. Effective diction is shaped by words that are clear, concrete, and exact. Good writers avoid words like pretty, nice, and bad because they are not specific enough. Instead, they rely on words that invoke a specific effect in order to bring the reader into the event being described.
Diction depends on subject, purpose, occasion, and audience The subject often determines how specific or sophisticated the diction needs to be. For example,articles on computers are filled with a specialized language: e-mail, e-shopping, web, interface.Many topics generated special vocabularies to convey meaning. The writer’s purpose – whether to persuade, entertain, inform – partly determines diction. Words chosen to impart a particular effect on the reader reflect the writer’s purpose. For example, if an author’s purpose is to inform, the reader should expect straightforward diction. On the other hand, if the author’s purpose is to entertain, the readers will likely encounter words used in ironic, playful, or unexpected ways.
Diction also depends on occasion. Formal diction is reserved for scholarly writing and serious texts. Informal diction is often used in narrative essays and newspaper editorials. Colloquial diction and slang are typically used to capture the language of a particular time frame or culture. Finally, the type of diction a writer uses depends on the audience (readers, listeners). An author who uses sophisticated diction knows he is writing for an intelligent audience. An author who uses more informal diction knows he is writing for an audience of varied intelligence.
DICTION REVIEW 1. Are the words monosyllabic or polysyllabic? 2. Is the diction formal or informal? Colloquial? Slangy? Filled with jargon? 3. Is the language concrete or abstract? 4. Is there a change in the level of diction in the passage?
Diction refers to the author's choice of words. Tone is the attitude or feeling that the writer's words express. Bouncing into the room, she lit up the vicinity with a joyous glow on her face as she told about her fiancé and their wedding plans. ____ diction contributes to the ____ tone. Cheerful diction contributes to the joyful tone. She huddled in the corner, clutching her tattered blanket and shaking convulsively, as she feverishly searched the room for the unknown dangers that awaited her. ____ diction contributes to the ____ tone. Frightening diction contributes to the alarming tone.
Drawing the attention of his classmates, as well as his teacher, the student dared to experiment with his professor’s intelligence by interrogating him about the Bible. ____ diction contributes to the ____ tone. Challenging diction contributes to the confrontational tone. He furtively glanced behind him, for fear of his imagined pursuers, then hurriedly walked on, jumping at the slightest sound, even of a leaf crackling under his own foot. ____ diction contributes to the ____ tone. Threatening diction contributes to the frantic tone. Gently smiling, her mother tenderly tucked the covers up around the child’s neck, and carefully, quietly, left the room, making sure to leave a comforting ray of light shining through the opened door should the child awake. ____ diction contributes to the ____ tone. Loving diction contributes to the serene tone.
SYNTAX The manner in which a speaker or author constructs a sentence affects what the audience understands. The inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader or listener to a question and creates a tension between speaker and listener. Similarly, short sentences are often emphatic, passionate, or flippant; whereas longer sentences suggest the writer’s more deliberate, thoughtful response; and very long, discursive sentences give a narrative a rambling, meditative tone.
SYNTAX Sentence Types, Structures, Variety (periodic, parallel) Arrangement (schemes) Change, Punctuation: ! : ; _ Length, Typographical elements (italics, bold, caps)
Ask yourself 1. Punctuation: How does the author punctuate the sentence and to what extent does the punctuation affect the meaning? 2. Structure: How are words and phrases arranged within the sentence? What is the author trying to accomplish through this arrangement? 3. How would you characterize the author’s syntax in this text? 4. Changes: Are there places where the syntax clearly changes? If so, where, how, and why? 5. Sentence length: How many words are in the different sentences? Do you notice any pattern (e.g., a cluster of short sentences of a particular type)?
6. Devices: How would you describe the author’s use of the following? Independent and dependent clauses Coordinating, subordinating, or correlative conjunctions Repetition Parallelism Fragments Comparisons 7. Sentence beginnings: How does the author begin his or her sentences? (Does the author, for example, consistently begin with introductory phrases or clauses? 8. Language: What use does the author make of figurative language or colloquial expressions?
SENTENCE LENGTHS Staccato - one to two words, abrupt Telegraphic – less than five words long Short – five words long Medium – eighteen words long Long – thirty words long
SENTENCE STRUCTURES • Simple—contains one independent clause: The singer bowed to her adoring audience. • Compound—contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or by a semicolon: The singer bowed to the audience, but she sang no encores (CC = FANBOYS). • Complex—contains an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses: Because the singer was tired, she went straight to bed after the concert (SC = WABBITS). • Compound-complex—contains two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses: The singer bowed while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores.
PERIODIC sentence – a sentence in which the main thought is not complete until the end e.g. After a lengthy flight and many stops, we reached Edmonton. LOOSE sentence – a sentence in which the essential meaning is complete before the end e.g. We reached Edmonton after a lengthy flight and many stops. BALANCED / PARALLEL sentence – the phrases of clauses balance each other in likeness or structure, meaning, and/or length e.g. He was walking, running, and jumping.
SENTENCE TYPES • Declarative—makes a statement: The king is sick. • Interrogative—ask a question: Is the king sick? • Imperative—gives a command: Cure the king. • Exclamatory—provides emphasis or expresses strong emotion: The king is dead! Long live the king!
IMAGERY It is imagery that allows readers to involve their senses while reading. Your mind creates images (pictures) in your head = your mind’s eye. Your mind can also be reminded of sounds, touch, movement, smells, and tastes. Imagery is the mental picture or pictures that a writer creates. In fiction, imagery can involve any and all of the senses, and can have important symbolic value.
Ask yourself 1. What sensory information do I find in the language: color, scents, sounds, tastes, or textures? 2. What is the author trying to convey or achieve by using this imagery? 3. Are these images part of a larger pattern or structure within the text (e.g., does it connect to one of the major themes)? 4. What figures of speech –– metaphors, similes, analogies, personification ––does the writer use? How do they affect the meaning of the text? What is the author trying to accomplish by using them?
IMAGERY Visual : Something seen in the mind's eye A shape: circle, triangle, square A sailing boat A button A computer Auditory: Represents a sound The wind blowing through the trees The ring on your telephone Water lapping on a lake shore Olfactory: A smell Newly baked bread Chlorine New mown grass Freshly brewed coffee Gustatory: A taste Sugar Bananas Salt Lemon Toothpaste Tactile: A touch Standing barefoot on a sandy beach Running your fingertips on satin fabric Holding a smooth pebble Holding an ice cube Kinesthetic: A movement Swimming Running on grass Throwing a ball Organic: Internal sensation Hunger Thirst Fatigue Fear
Descriptive Language
Figurative Language Figurative language is using figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive and impactful. Figures of Speech are divided into Tropes and Schemes TROPES: The basic definition of a trope is using a phrase, word or visual description in a way that is not strictly expected or usual. A trope will change the context of any situation by altering the way it is interpreted. A simile is an example of a trope. With this form of rhetoric you take two objects not connected by anything but vague similarities. “Looking into her eyes, I couldn’t help but think they were green like forests untouched by the hand of man.” Notice that this use of a simile changes words and phrases to give them a meaning other than what might be expected in its more direct form. The four master tropes are Metaphor, Synecdoche, Metonymy, and Irony.
SCHEMES: Schemes are figures of speech that deal with word order, syntax, letters, and sounds, rather than the meaning of words. Unlike tropes that work to shift the meaning of something, the scheme will just change the format. Anaphora is a good example of a scheme. This is when you repeat the first part of a sentence over and over again to help push a point or convince the person reading or listening: “I did not back out of my campaign promises. I did not fail to increase the education budget. I did not stop putting pressure on insurance companies to lower premiums. I did not fail to bring down the national unemployment percentage. I did not step back from any of the challenges I swore to you I would tackle in my first term.”
SIMILE A simile is the comparison of two unlike things using the word 'like' , 'as' , or than.
METAPHOR A metaphor is like a simile. That is because it is a comparison that is made between things, which is not always likely or obvious. However, the explicit use of the word 'like' or 'as' which you see in a simile, is not used in a metaphor which is rather a comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be". It is a direct or indirect comparison.
PERSONIFICATION Giving human qualities to an inanimate object or nature.
ONOMATOPOEIA Onomatopoeia refers to words whose sound is suggestive of its meaning.
HYPERBOLE Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses an exaggerated or extravagant statement to create a strong emotional response. As a figure of speech it is not intended to betaken literally. Hyperbole is frequently used for humour. It is a deliberate exaggeration.
ALLITERATION Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of each or most of the words in a sentence.
ALLUSION A significant reference, direct or indirect, to a work of literature, music, or art, as well as a historical event, person, or place.
OXYMORON 1. A figure of speech in which two words with opposing meanings are used together intentionally for effect. 2. A contradiction in terms.
SYMBOL Symbolism is a technique used in literature when some things are not to be taken literally. The symbolism can be an object, person, situation, events or actions that have a deeper meaning in context. This technique can enhance writing and give insight to the reader.
REPETITION Repetition is a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer.
WORD BANK TIME TO PRACTICE Imagery Simile Metaphor Personification Onomatopoeia Hyperbole Alliteration Allusion Oxymoron Symbol Repetition